This invention relates to providing spacecraft radiator systems. More particularly, this invention relates to providing a structurally integrated spacecraft radiator system for improved spacecraft weight optimization. Even more particularly, this invention relates to providing a system for combining a radiator system with structural support to be used in a spacecraft.
In spacecraft design many compromises are involved as each system, subsystem, or component not only satisfies a function but also requires accommodation in the overall design. Due to this interaction of different subsystems with different functions, systems integration is the key to optimized spacecraft system engineering. Practically speaking, the need to break up the development, manufacture, and integration of spacecraft systems and its subsystems into manageable portions results in a hardware work breakdown structure (WBS). As designers strive to optimize their assigned WBS portion for mass, power, and volume, the result is very often an assembly of optimized subsystems into a less-than-optimized overall spacecraft. This phenomenon is referred to as “optimization by WBS”. While use of WBS in spacecraft design has brought the spacecraft industry many well-functioning designs, new additional demands for optimization at the total spacecraft level now require detailed integration of spacecraft vehicle functions and proper modeling of the spacecraft at the total spacecraft level.
Spacecraft designs may use separate systems to fulfill the requirements of structural support and heat rejection. Structural support systems may be internal-frame structures while external panels of the outer skin may be used in heat radiation systems for thermal emitting of heat. Both systems may be optimized independently with no consideration of using the external panels to assist in the spacecraft structural support.
Thus, a system is needed to integrate spacecraft structural support together with the outer skin into an optimized dual purpose system, the optimization of which balances providing structural support with the thermal efficiency requirements in a spacecraft.